PressReader is passionate about including niche and community publications in its all-you-can-consume platform. We’re rooting for homegrown content and local publications, and we’re pushing to share them with global audiences, because we believe these independent and regional voices matter.
For libraries, the inclusion of local publishers on PressReader is essential, too. Librarians are continuously striving to curate a diverse publication list that keeps their patrons informed of the local news and current events that matter most to them. With PressReader, they can gain access to top-tier publications, small news outlets and everything in between, all while supporting publishers of every size. After all, quality journalism must be paid for so that it continues to be produced.
Yes, you’ll find all the major brands and biggest names in journalism on PressReader’s digital newsstand. But alongside those heavy-hitting titles, you’ll find our library is full of indie magazines and journals, local publications, regional content and hyper-specific small-run pubs.
Including local publishers in our catalog isn’t meant to be a feel-good experience for us here at PressReader: it’s a powerful opportunity for media companies of all sizes. Based on how other news aggregators compensate publishers, it’s easy to assume that only the biggest names in publishing benefit from global distribution — but that's not the case with PressReader. In reality, the platform brings more brand awareness to niche publishers and boosts circulation data, which for many publishers means additional revenue from regions where they don’t currently have distribution.
It’s a win-win-win situation — but let’s dig a little deeper into just how PressReader’s model helps publishers.
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Global reach for local publishers
Imagine your patrons include international exchange students, wishing they had a copy of their favorite interior design magazine to read through over their morning toast. They probably won’t find a copy at the neighborhood corner store. But with a digital newsstand through their library, their favorite publication is just a few clicks or taps away, from anywhere they might be in the world.
As the world starts to open up post-pandemic, and international students can return to campuses, having easy, remote access to regional content through public libraries will not only be incredibly convenient, but essential. Knowing what’s going on, and understanding its impact, is more important than ever — even when you’re not at home.
While local publishers’ print audiences may be limited logistically, the reach with a digital edition is endless. With PressReader, local publishers can drive audience growth, increase readership and generate additional revenue all while boosting overall exposure. By working with PressReader, you’re supporting journalism around the world, while allowing your patrons to pick and choose the publications that matter to them.
Bringing diversity and new perspectives to library patrons
By providing library patrons with access to an all-you-can-consume digital newsstand packed with local content from around the world, librarians are tapping into an incredible wealth of global perspective. Plus, with PressReader’s ability to automatically translate stories in up to 21 languages (and with titles available in over 70 languages), the platform truly has something for everyone, including international readers.
Particularly for academic libraries and intelligence centers, international content can help meet diversity requirements. Additionally, providing library patrons with well researched, trustworthy sources from a variety of different regional or socio-political sources is also an impactful way to support and promote media literacy — a cornerstone for democracy in countries everywhere.
Valuing (and paying!) local publishers fairly
Participating publishers aren’t just making the world a better place (though those warm, fuzzy feelings that come with building a sustainable future for journalism certainly don’t hurt!) PressReader’s content partners also get compensated while supporting research, information access and education.
At PressReader, we pride ourselves on compensating publishing partners fairly and protecting copyright in the process. Our model is based on consumption: every time someone reads a magazine or newspaper, the publisher gets compensated. Other digital news platforms pay by “time spent,” which ultimately winds up benefiting the big fish — a small number of big publishers .
Regional and niche publishers are a vital part of a media ecosystem, and deserve to be compensated for the quality journalism and entertainment that they deliver, wherever in the world the end reader may be.
Attractive cost efficiencies for local publishers
However a content partner’s readership increases on a digital newsstand, the hard costs remain the same. That’s one of the biggest benefits about digital, subscription-based content distribution for libraries: there’s no added cost for print or delivery — no matter how far away.
It also offers cost efficiencies in terms of human resources. A publisher’s sales team doesn’t need to go door-to-door to every library on the planet: through PressReader, their content is automatically placed in our partner libraries, benefitting patrons without demanding additional resources or time investment on the publisher’s side. It’s global circulation, done in a snap.
Since its inception, PressReader and our library partners have been cheering on the publishing industry. Even with 7,000 trusted publications and counting as part of the digital content offerings, there’s always room for more content. And if it’s from local publishers? All the better.
